Ventilating spacer and making same



Sept. 27, 1960 S. P. CRANE ETAL VENTILATING SPACER AND MAKING SAME Filed June 26, 1958 V NTOR. Samuel rane ftephen an!- A TTORNE'Y 2,954,076 Patented Sept. 27, 1960 VENTILATING SPACER AND MAKING Samuel 1. Crane, Great Neck, and Stephen D. Kent,

Newburgh, N.Y., assignors to Alpha Research Corp., New York, N. a corporation of New York Fnea June 26, 1958, Ser. No. 744,830

17 Claims. (Cl. 155-182) This invention relates to seat ventilators or spacers employing a coiled wire inner unit, and particularly to the structure and manufacture of the unit. I

As heretofore constructed, the inner wire coil unit of a ventilating spacer or cushion of the type adapted to be interposed between the body of a person and the yieldable supporting surface of the seat or back of an automobile or article of furniture, has customarily been covered with a foraminous flexible sheet on each of the faces of the unit. The peripheral edges of the covering sheets projecting beyond the unit have been bound together by binding tape enclosing said edges and stitched thereto.

A commercially accepted example of such spacer is illustrated in .Patent No. 2,801,681 to which reference is made for a complete description, which description need not be here repeated. Suffice it to say that one or more lengths of coiled wire arewrapped around a border wire to form inter- 'secting and interlocking rows of coiled wire, and the coils are then crushed or flattened to improve the interlock. Loosely woven or foraminous sheets enclose the inner unit and permit circulation of air between the body of an occupant of a vehicle, chair or the like, and the seat, back or other supporting surface of the vehicle or article of furniture. It has beenfound that the crushing or flattening of the coils, while adequate for comfort when the occupant is fully clad with the usual outer clothing, is not completely satisfactory when the occupant is thinly clad as with sleeping attire or the like. The concentration of weight on the flat tops of the wire coils is likely to cause discomfort when the spacer is used in hospital or other beds, a use especially indicated in hot weather. Similar concentration of weight on leather or fabric upholstery by the bottom parts of the wire coils may cause excessive wear of the upholstery covering and shorten the life thereof. p Similarly, in other, types of ventilating spacers or cushions wherein only one set of coiled wire spacing rows are employed and the adjacent rods are held in place by knitting Wires, strips or intersecting rows of coils and the rows are arranged in various shapes such as parallel and straight, spiral or concentrically as in Patents Nos.

2,801,679 and 2,801,680, the limited supporting area provided by he wire parts at the tops of the coils, whether flattened or not, may cause discomfort under the conditions mentioned, even though the rows may be overlapped, the pitch of the coils made small and a relatively dense 'coil structure thereby provided. The covering tends 'to sink into the spaces between coils to form a valley or :trough while' the relatively unyielding coil top forms a crest or ridge tending'to press into the body of the occupant.

The present invention therefore contemplates the provision of inexpensive but eflicient means and a simple method for smoothing and enlarging the effective body porting area will be termed hereinafter the bearing area. When so'enlarged, the bearing area disturbs the weight of the occupant over a relatively large surface. and reduces the concentration of pressure at either the tops or bottoms of the coils or at both tops and bottoms, to

, insure comfort as when the user is lightly attired as well as avoiding undue wear on the supporting surface for the spacer.

The invention further contemplates the provision of body-supporting means and a method for not only increasing the bearing area of the spacer to many times that provided by the Wire coils, but also for imparting to the unit the additional functions of effectively replacing or aiding the devices heretofore used and such as are shown for example in Patents Nos. 2,801,679; 2,801,680 and 2,801,681 for fixing the rows in place during handling and shipment as Well as for preventing dislocation or twisting of the individual coils out of the proper positions thereof when load is put thereon.

The invention further contemplates making the smoothed and enlarged bearing area by dipping the lower portion of an inner coil wire unit into viscous. somewhat adherent and settable plastic material which is preferably less rigid than the coil material when set, to coat the coil portions with an excess of the plastic material, and then flattening and spreading the coating to form extensions of substantial area and optionally attaching a smooth sheet covering thereto or spreading the plastic to such an extent as to form a sheet in situ by permitting the extensions of the coating of each coil to merge or to coalesce with that on adjacent coils, the sheet thus formed or attached having ventilating perforations thereinif desired.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic sectional view of the coiled wire inner unit of a ventilating spacer showing the lower parts of the rows of coils immersed in a bath of more or less viscous plastic at the proper temperature for performing the coating step Fig. 2 is a similar view of the partly coated unit showing the rows resting on arsmooth sheet after removal from the bath and the coating material spread by gravity, flattened and set.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the coated unit with the sheet attached thereto, invertedand reimmersed, this time more deeply to coat the opposite portions of the rows with a greater excess of material.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the coated unit of Fig. 3 as it appears resting on a flat surface provided with ridges which form channels in the plastic, the flat surface being one which does not adhere or which has a film which prevents its adherence to the plastic, to form in situ a greatly enlarged and smoothed bearing area offlattened plastic of sheet-like form at what are to be the tops of the rows.

Fig. 5. is a similar view of the completed inner unit turned right side up and covered at the top and bound at the edges to form the finished spacer.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of the unit in which two intersecting sets of coiled rows are used, the rows being overlapped and the pitch of each coil made so small that a dense coil structure is formed and the excess plastic on the deeply dipped closely spaced coils coalesces to form an integral perforated sheet-like member having a flat 'outer face and varying in. thickness.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of another modified form of an inner unit, the unit having widely spaced apart rows with coils of relatively large pitch such as are shown in Figs. 1-3 but with the tops and bottoms of the rowsshallowly dipped to form separated and smaller flattened bearing areas, the unit having a sheet attached to the bottoms of the rows.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a typical coil having the bottom part thereof coated and the coating flattenedand also showing the channelled or recessed flattened extensions and coating at the top of the coil.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. of a coil structure similar to that of Fig. 6, but showing a flattened form of the coils and also showing the channels in the flat surface of the extensions and coating at a face of the unit.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of another modified form of the unit in which the extensions of the coatings of adjacent overlapped and flattened coils on one face merge to form a perforated sheet, the formed sheet being channelled at its flat surface and a separate sheet being adhesively secured to the other face of the unit by the spaced apart extensions and coatings of the coils.

Briefly, in carrying out the invention, selected parts of suitable rows of coils are coated with a non-rigid and somewhat flexible and settable plastic and then the plastic is spread, enlarged into extensions and flattened to bridge or partly bridge the spaces between corresponding parts of adjacent coils, the plastic being then allowed to set. The types of coils and plastic, the arrangement of the rows and the means employed to flatten the coating vary to a considerable extent and will now be described in detail.

Referring to Figs. 1-5, part of a row 11 of coils 12 of an inner wire coil ventilating spacer 13 (Fig. 5) is there shown, it being understood that the rows 12 are of considerable length and that a number of rows are employed to make up the unit as is well understood. The axes of the rows and coils lie in a common plane parallel to a face of the spacer. As shown, a frame 14 in the form of a flexible coiled border wire engages the ends of the rows and aids in holding the rows in place while the unit is being manipulated for coating and finishing purposes, the flexible border wire also holding the rows in place later, though any other suitable means such as a relatively thick and rigid straight-sided border wire may be employed instead.

However they may be supported temporarily or permanently, the lower parts or arcs 15 of the coils of the rows are dipped into a tank 16 holding a quantity of suitable tough resinous plastic material 17 in liquid or semi-liquid form and of the desired viscosity to coat and adhere to the coils but flowing by gravity at the desired speed toward the bottom points 18 of the coils. Preferably, the plastic is of the flexible type such as vinyl plastisols, in which the plasticizer controls the consistency or viscosity and setting time. Hot melts or relatively quick setting organisols or rigidsols of the proper consistency may be employed if desired for the coating, it being desirable that the setting time be relatively short and controllable, that the material be liquid or semiliquid at reasonable coating temperatures, and that the plastic be not brittle when set.

The depth of the dip, the viscosity, type and composition of the plastic determine with other more or less controllable factors, the amount of plastic adhering to the bottom parts 18 of the coils. It is preferable that an excess of plastic 17 over that needed merely to form a thin covering coating, be lifted out of the path with the rows. A considerable part of the excess plastic on each coil gravitates toward the lowermost point of the coil, tending to gather there in the form of a drop or gob. However, such drop formation is prevented and the gob is distorted by resting the coated rows while wet on a suitable flat surface which flattens the plastic and permits it to spread by gravity away from the coilfrom which it is suspended.

In the form shown in Fig. 2, the flat surface is a sheet 20 to which the plastic adheres and which remains attached to the coils to form a part of the finished spacer. The sheet is of strong but flexible material Such as suit.-

able paper, fiber, paper reinforced with glass fibers, fabric or the like. It need not necessarily be perforated, if the sheet forms the under or rear part of the spacer, as no air can pass therethrough even if perforated when it is in its operative position resting against the seat or back of an automobile or article of furniture or lying on a bed or the like. When such sheet is used, a shallow dip in the plastic .bath is suflicient to attach the sheet to the coils and to form spaced apart bearing areas or exten sions 21 (Fig. 7) one at each coil, which areas together with the sheet provide a total bearing area of suflicient size to prevent the wireof the coils from damaging the surface against which the spacer is pressed when loaded. When used at the tops or front parts of the coils, the sheet 20 is suitably perforated for ventilating purposes.

However, such separate sheet 20 is not indispensable to increase the bearing area even at the top or front of the spacer where ventilation is essential for the reason that a sheet or sheet-like member serving the purposes required may be formed by causing the extensions of the plastic adhering to each coil to merge or coalesce with that on adjacent coils as shown in Fig. 4 and also in Figs. 6, 8 and 10. For purposes of economy of illustration, the sheet 20 is shown attached to the rows in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10, though it should be understood that such sheet may be entirely omitted if desired and a perforated sheet formed in situ by means of the excess plastic. Or if such sheet is attached at one face of the spacer unit, spaced apart bearing areas or extensions 21a without the sheet may be employed at the opposite face as shown in Fig. 7, the spaces between the areas 21 providing the desired ventilating openings communicating with the interior of the spacer.

As shown in Fig. 3, the rows are reversed or turned upside down and deeply dipped into the plastic bath to draw out a considerable coating of plastic. The thus coated rows are rested as before on a flat sheet as 22 of glass or other smooth surfaced member suitably coated if necessary, with wax, oil, grease, silicone or other film to which the plastic does not adhere well. The relatively large excess of plastic which gravitates otf the coils on to the sheet spreads out far enough to merge with other adjacent gobs to form a sheet or sheet-like member 33 (Fig. 10) having ventilating openings 34 therein. The rows with the flattened and spread plastic are easily removed from the flattening sheet 22. Such member 33 is later arranged at the front or top of the finished spacer. To provide auxiliary ventilating channels or grooves as 244 in the otherwise smooth fiat outer surface of the bearing area of the sheet-like member 33, the upper surface of the flattening member 22 is provided with spaced apart upraised ridges 23a preferably though not necessarily in the form of a grid or a number of low knife edges or the like. A suitable mesh of thin wire coated with material to which the plastic does not adhere is suitable for this purpose. The plastic flows into the spaces between the wires of the mesh or between the knife edges, while the coils rest on the top of such mesh or knife edges. When the plastic has set and the coated coils are removed from the sheet 22, the spaces previously occupied by the ridges 23a remain as the grooves 24a as seen in Figs. 5 and 8, and as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10.

It will be noted that the thickness of the flattened bearing area or extension varies considerably at different points thereof. The thickness at any point depends on the manner in which the semi-liquid gob of plastic gravitates and adheres to the coils and the setting time. Generally, theentire dipped arc of the coil retains some plastic, so that the thickness of the flattened gob is frequently greatest at the ends of the arc and least at the peripheral .edges of the extension. There being plastic along the reason that such rotation, if attempted, must necessarily distort the groove material or stretch the plastic unduly. The plastic consequently holds the coil in place against displacement under, load and otherwise.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5, 7 and 10, both a separate sheet on one face and a formed plastic sheet on the other face.

of the unit are employed, but in Fig. 6 there is illustrated a relatively dense coil structure on one face of which a sheet is formed as at the top of the unit, no sheet being used at the opposite face. The coils 25 are ,shownto be of small pitch arranged in overlappingrelation and in parallel rows 26 of one set intersectedby a second set 27 of overlapping rows. Both sets may be flattened as shown in Fig. 9. With such a high density ofcoils, a relatively large, but yet for some uses, an insuflicient bearing area of wireis provided. The coils beingclose together, a considerable amount of plastic can be supported thereby, so that a deep dipand flattening of the plastic as hereinbefore explained forms a sheet 28 having relatively small irregular perforations 29 therein.

In Fig. 7, the rows are spaced considerably apart, only one set being used and the pitch of the coils being relatively large. If the dip into the plastic is shallow, relatively small spaced apart bearing areas or extension 21 or 21a or both are provided.

In Fig. 10, the rows 30 and 31 are overlapped and the pitch is relatively large. With a deep dip, the flattened plastic areas 32 coalesce into the sheet 33 having rather large openings 34 therein. Suitable parallel ridges on the plate 22 form the channels 38 in said areas. The sheet 20. is attached to the smaller bearing areas 39 formed by a shallow dip on the opposite face of the unit.

In Fig. 9, similar channels 38 and openings 34 are formed in the flat surface of the top. bearing areas while the lower formed sheet 40 may be substantially imperforate and serve as a covering sheet for the unit.

Whatever may be the arrangement and pitch of the rows of coils, or the nature of the plastic used, or the depth of the dip therein, the spacer may readily be finished by arranging the front or top covering sheet 35 of suitable ventilating fabric over the top bearing areas and stitching the binding 36 to the sheet 35 and to the formed or separate sheet 37 (Fig. 5) at the opposite face of the unit. The unit of Fig. 6 may also have a separate covering sheet for the bottom or back as well as at the front of the unit as is Well understood and need not be further illustrated.

It will now be seen that regardless of the relative arrangement of the rows of coils and the length of the arc of each coil which is coated or left uncoated, or the amount of coating plastic which is picked up by each coil, the flattening of the plastic gob picked up and accumulating at the outer part of the arc forms a smooth flat surface, grooved if desired for auxiliary ventilation and providing a greatly enlarged bearing area over that furnished by the coil tops alone or by the coils and the usual coil covering; that by reason of such enlargement of the bearing area it become possible to employ ventilating spacers in beds, sofas and the like without discomfort; that the flattened plastic gob or extension for each coil may be made as large or as small \as required or may be merged with the gobs on adjacent coils -to a greater or lesser extent; that where intersecting rows of coils are used the gobs may so merge as to form a sheet-like perforated member; that a perforated separate ventilating sheet or an imperforate sheet may be held by the flattened gobs to the coils to form a supporting surface and that various obvious changes may be made in the iriven tion shown and described herein without departing from the spirit thereof defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a ventilating spacer, rows of coils arranged with the axes of the rows in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of a face of the spacer, a coating of non-metallic material on said coils, and means enlarging the bearing area of the coils at and adjacent to said face comprising transversely-and haphazardly spread out extensions of said coating at said bearing area, each of said extensions having a substantially flat outer surface at the face of the spacer, said flat surface extending transversely'in all directions and being coplanar with the flat surfaces of the other extensions. I v I I v 2. Theventilating spacer of claim 1, and a smooth sheet of flexible material on and adhering to the flat outer su'rfacesof the extensions and thereby beingconnected to the coils. 1

3. The ventilating spacer of claim 1, the extension on one coil merging with the extensions on adjacent coils tojfor'm an irregularly perforated sheet varying in thickness at different parts thereof and adapted to permitthe passage of air therethrough. V

4. The ventilating spacer of claim 3, the coils being flattened to non-circular form and the rows overlapped 'andthe coating material being a plastisol.

5. A ventilating spacer comprising rows of coils of,

relatively rigid and somewhat resilient wire-like material, arranged in spaced relation and with the axes thereof in a common plane substantially parallel to a face of the spacer, a coating of plastic material covering and adhering to an arc of substantial length of each coil adjacent said face, and means for increasing the bearing area of a coil and also resisting movement of the coil away from said coating, said means comprising integral plastic transverse extensions of the coating, the outer surfaces of the extensions being substantially flat, and each extension varying in thickness at different points of said are and being irregular in outline.

6. The ventilating spacer of claim 5, the coating extending from the ends of the arc to said flat outer surface of the extension and the projection of said surface on the plane of the face of the spacer being of greater area than that of the projection of the coating of'said arc of the coil on the last mentioned plane.

7. The ventilating spacer of claim 5, there being a multiplicity of grooves in the flat area extending inwardly partway through the thickness of the extension.

8. The ventilating spacer of claim 6, the spacer having two sets of rows of coils, one of the sets of rows intersecting the other set of rows, the extension extending between adjacent coils of a row and between the coils of adjacent rows and joining said coils and thereby resisting displacement of said coils.

9. The method of increasing the bearing area of rows of coils arranged with the axes thereof in a common plane comprising coating the rows with-an excess of viscous material capable of setting, placing the coated coils while the material is still flowable on a substantially horizontal and substantially flat supporting surface and permitting some of the excess material not required for coating the coils to gravitate to a point beyond the coils and to form a permanent substantially flat bearing surface, the major part of the area of which is in substantial spaced relation to the coils.

10. The method of claim 9, the flat supporting surface being a flexible sheet adhering to the coating and the flat bearing surface being formed somewhat below the material of the coils and extending in all horizontal directions.

11. The method of claim 9, the flat supporting surface being non-adherent to the coating and removing the coated coils from the surface after the coating has spread and set.

12. The method of claim 9, the coils being dipped into the coating material to a suflicient depth to hold and carry an excess of coating material in an amount sufficient to have the material flowing off adjacent coils merge to form a sheet fiat on one face and having crests and valleys on the other face.

13. The method of making a coiled wire ventilating spacer comprising dipping the coils into a bath of sufli- 14. In a ventilating spacer, rows of coils each having 10 a coating of plastic material, the coils being arranged with the axes thereof in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of a face of the spacer, and means of solid plastic, constituting the excess coating material, projecting from the coating to points in substantial spaced relation 15 to the coating, said means forming an enlarged bearing area on the spacer greater in area than the mere bearing area of the bare coils and coating combined, said means comprising a multiplicity of transverse extensions of the coating on the coils.

15. The spacer of claim 14, each of the extensions having a flat outermost surface projecting transversely in all directions from the coating and being coplanar with the outermost surfaces of adjacent extensions, said surfaces lying in a plane substantially parallel to the first mentioned plane, each of the extensions having an inner surface of irregular contour tapering generally outwardly toward the peripheral edge of the extension.

I16. The spacer of claim 14, each of the outermost surfaces of the extensions having inwardly extending ventilating grooves therein and being otherwise fiat.

17. The spacer of claim 14, and a sheet of relatively thin flexible material in adhesive contact with the outermost surfaces of the extensions and held thereby at the 'face of the spacer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,276,516 Roy Mar. 17, 1942 20 2,803,293 Rowland Aug. 20, 1957 2,804,912 Pickard Sept. 3, 1957 M A )1: E 2: 

